Councils administrator’s faulted over mismanagement of resources

By Alick Junior Sichali

Councils in the country have been faulted over mismanagement of money meant for development activities in various localities.

This has been revealed at a public debate organised by National Initiative Civic Education [Nice] which involved panelists from the media, councilors and officials from Nice.

Sentiments of some of the villagers who participated at the debate said most of the times they are sideline when they is a project to be implemented.

One of the villagers, Madalitso Ngavaye, said councilors and members of parliament they lack transparency as most of the times they do not involve them to discuss about development activities to be implemented in their areas.

According to Madalitso Ngavaye councilors and members of Parliament need at all levels of a development project to make sure that people in the communities are fully involved in the projects.

“The money which is meant for development activities in various councils is not being used for intended purposes because most of the times they do not involve us, they do things which we people in the localities do not want and this is one reason which most of the villages in the country are not developed,” Ngavaye said.

But Councilor Mary Kachale of Nkolokoti ward in Blantyre City East said the councils follow all protocols when they have a project but was quick to say villagers resist to participate in the activity if their is no money meant for them.

Kachale said when sometimes people in the communities are asked to support a certain development project in their areas they do not provide the necessities hence most of the projects are delayed.

Kachale further said that in most cases members of Parliament and councilors do not have cordial relationship which makes it hard for most of the development projects to be implemented.

“It is true most development activities are being delayed in most councils in the country, the reason behind is that us as councilors do not work in hand with members of Parliament which later leads to the money in the council not used for intended purposes,” Kachale said.

One of the well known journalist in the media fraternity, Dr Mlonya, said their is a need to scrutinize the role of the councilors and members of Parliament whenever their is a development project.

Dr Mlonya said if councilors, members of Parliament and people in the communities knows their role it will enable transparency hence resources in the councils being used properly.